Feminist Fridays-Asgarda Tribe

In the Ukraine, a country where females are victims of sexual trafficking and gender oppression, a new tribe of empowered women is emerging. Calling themselves the “Asgarda”, the women seek complete autonomy from men. Residing in the Carpathian Mountains, the tribe is comprised of 150 women of varying ages, primarily students, led by 30 year-old Katerina Tarnouska. Reviving the tribal traditions of the Scythian Amazons of ancient Greek mythology, the Asgarda train in martial arts, taught by former Soviet karate master, Volodymyr Stepanovytch, and learn life skills and sciences in order to become ideal women. Little physical documentation existed on the tribe, until recently, when renowned French photographer, Guillaume Herbaut, met the Asgarda back in 2004 in the midst of the Orange Revolution.

Thanks to Madde for bringing this to my attention. I have had quite a tough week as far as women goes, and have been really saddened by a lot of things that I have been seeing in girls and women and this was PRECISELY what I have been needing to see to know everything would be okay. My problem with a lot of what is perceived "empowering" today is in the fact that it is not at all substantial. Women are encouraged to be loud and opinionated but not educated or skilled at anything that they talk about. They are taught to say they are strong without actually being strong. Which is perhaps partially why I was SO thrilled to see that these girls, who don't even live in an enviroment like North America home to some of the luckiest and liberated women in the world, were encouraged not just to be strong but skilled and given skills that would make them stronger. Feel happy and have a great weekend and remember, education is power.